Retribution
by xXSylvieXx
Summary: Some monsters never go away. So why not embrace them? After finally getting out of prison, Azula fabricates a plan to take back the throne. However, how will her increasing insanity affect her plan, and what happens when she accidentally develops feelings for an old friend along the way?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so excited to finally start writing this fic. First of all, I do not have a beta, so if anyone would like to beta for me, just PM me. Also, I have never written an insane person before, so I would love feedback on how I am doing with that! **

Chapter One: Insufferable Waiting

Waiting. So much waiting. Waiting for what? Something, anything. Whether it be the next small food ration, or a trip from my _lovely_ brother, each day's waiting for an event is insufferable. Besides, I do not belong in here. I am a princess, second in line to the throne. I should not be in here!

I hear the sound of a door open outside of my cell, wondering who has come to see me. I have lost track of the time and days, along with meal times. However, I do know by the rumbling in my stomach that meal time is soon.

The clatter of metal shoes on concrete gets closer to my cell, and a slot at the bottom of the door opens as a small tray with a bowl of rice and soup slides through. The strain of the straight jacket tightens as I inch my way across the floor to get to the food. Zuko must have made them give me the regular three meals a day, for when I was Fire Lord, my prisoners ate once a day.

I have not slept for days. It is not that I am tiered, it is just that the voices in my head speak up every time I drift off. _You deserve the throne, Azula. _they say, or _you posses all of the power in the world, and you could escape._

I could escape if I could manage to get this damn straight jacket off! I have tried everything, even chewing through it. I could burn it, but they keep my cell below freezing. I have been fabricating a plan in my head to gain back my rightful place on the throne, and now I wait for a visit from my dearest brother Zuko to commence it.

My plan? First, I pursuade Zuko to let me out of here. Then, I escape to the Earth Kingdom. I will gain allies there, and start a revolution. I will convince everyone that the Fire Nation should not be forgiven, and my army will take back the throne, simple.

"Zuko? Zuko, where are you?" I say to myself before laughing. God, I crack myself up.

I eat the food before me, savoring the bland flavor. Sure, I get three meals everyday, but they are small meals. Since I have been in here, I have lost both fat and muscle. Times that I can manage to stand in this straight jacket, I feel weaker. I push the tray and bowls to the side of the cell when I am done, and begin the insufferable waiting again.

Then thee clatter comes back. Someone must be here to see me. The clatter gets closer, and the door opens to reveal a guard, along with two nurses and a wheel chair. The guard is the same guard who tends to me everyday, so there is no fear in his eyes. Unlike the nurses, he knows that I am harmless in my state. The nurses, however, have an unexplainable fear in their eyes. It feels nice to be feared again.

"Get up. Someone's here to see you." The guard snarks. He thinks that just because I am in a straight jacket and a cell, that he is superior to me, but I am stronger and smarter in this state than he will ever be. After all, I am a princess and he is a lowly guard.

"Do you really think I can get up in this thing?" I spit back. I narrow my eyes at him, and one of the nurses shifts in uncomfortableness before I burst out in laughter.

"Shut up." He says before grabbing my hair and pulling me up and into the wheelchair. How dare someone of the likes of him hurt me like that! I am a princess! As soon as I get out of here, I will challenge him to an Agni Kai.

The two nurses wheel me down a hallway with the guard walking in front of us. We go through multiple corridors before reaching the room Zuko always meets me. The room stands out from the rest of the prison with its exquisite interior. Red and golds cover the room, greatly resembling the palace. Zuko sits at a table towards the center of the room. He looks different from the last tie that I saw him. It had to at least be four months ago. His hair is longer, and he looks older in a way, but I read people by their eyes. He looks as if he missing something, like something is keeping him from being content. That something is me.

"Azula," He says, looking up at me. I flash him a smile, but not one of my bloodthirsty grins. I flash him a smile that tells him that I am happy he came to see me. I try to put on a face of sincere happiness to show him how much I "appreciate" him.

"Brother," I begin, "Its so nice to see you." His face changes to a face of concern. He thinks it odd how I am acting and suspects the show that I am putting on.

"How are you feeling," He says, leaning back in his chair, sipping his tea. I can tell by his posture that he feels safe in here with me. He knows that I am chained up, and can not hurt him, so he has let his guard down. Know would be a great time to attack him. No, I cannot. I must be patient, for the time will come when we have a fair duel without the interruption of that waterbender girl.

"I'm feeling great in fact," I begin lying, "But I feel out of place." He narrows his eyes at me, as if trying to comprehend what I mean.

"Out of place? I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean." He tells me. Zuko has always been a fool. Even growing up, I excelled at everything while he remained simply mediocre. If I where in his position, I would be able to see directly through the facade.

"I am not a prisoner. I am a princess, Zuko. I am your sister." I put an apologetic look on my face as he straightened up, attempting to analyze me and my motives. "I'm ready to come home," I say in a soft, gentle voice, "I'm ready to be with my family again."

I can tell that he is beginning to debate on whether or not to release me. "Why should I release you?" He questions. Simply his asking of the question shows that he is considering letting me go. He has become soft, in fact he as already soft enough for not ordering an execution. It signifies that he still has a bit of affection buried deep inside of his heart for his baby sister. He is weak.

"Zuko, I was only fourteen. All I knew was to make father proud, and I never saw both sides of the argument." I try to convince him. He shifts in his chair, and I know that he is going to bring me home. I fight the smirk trying to creep into my lips.

"I suppose we can try." He replies, making the biggest mistake of his life.

**A/N: So I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter! Sorry that it is so short, but future chapters will be longer. Don't forget to leave a review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey Everyone! I really didn't expect as much feedback as I got, and I'm super excited to continue this. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

Chapter Two: Liberation

Looking in a mirror, I can see all of the changes in appearance since I have been in jail. My once beautiful hair has grown to my waist, and become scraggly and dirty. My face is much thinner due to my weight loss. The biggest difference, however, is my eyes. The self-confidence is still there, but they look tired, like an old war veteran's eyes. I put my now disgusting hair into my classic bun, and grab a nice red dress out of the wardrobe in my old room. Zuko told me to at least try and look nice for dinner.

I know that Zuko has yet to forgive me, but he is not the kind of man to leave his little sister to rot away in jail. He could never live with himself if I died in there. What a softy.

I leave my room and make my way through the palace. It has not changed much since I was gone, including the terrified looks from the servants around. I let out a laugh when one servant drop the laundry she was folding when we make eye contact. Being feared is the best comfort.

When I enter the dinning room, my nose is blessed with the sensation of various meats and beans. I walk to the table to see Zuko sitting in the spot that father would always sit in, and a stranger sitting in Ursa's spot. The woman had black hair that was tied into a braid down her back, along with a set of large amber eyes, and a third eye tattooed on her forehead. A combustion bender. "Good evening, Zuzu," I say to Zuko with a giggle as I take a seat in between the two. His cheeks go red, just like they did back when we where kids. Some things never change. "So when are you going to introduce me to your guest?"

"This is my fiance, Rizu." He says gesturing to her. "Rizu, this is my sister, Azula." He introduces me as if he is ashamed that I am his sister. She is not like most of the girls he is into. He likes the girly, feminine type, but I can already tell that she is more like me. A prodigy.

"Nice to meet you, Princess Azula." She says with a calm smile. She is different. I do not see the same fear in er eyes as I see in everyone else. Looks like my goal of this dinner is to intimidate her.

"I'm glad you finally broke up with that traitor, Mai," I say before placing a piece of pork in my mouth, "However, I always thought you would ditch her for that waterbender girl that you where so in love with." I smirk at him, as Rizu shifts uncomfertably. His face gets even more red, and he narrows his eyes at me, telling me to stop. "Oh wait, I forgot that she ran off with the avatar."

"Oh you mean the one that whooped your ass in Agni Kai?" He says, as I lift an eyebrow, "I've never had feelings for Katara. She is just a good friend."

I laugh at his denial. I have seen his affection towards her first hand. "Really now? Tell that to the lightning bolt that you took for her," I reply with a smug smile.

I hear Rizu make an uncomfortable laugh from across the table. "So, Azula, are you happy to be back?" She asks.

Instead of answering her question, I go out of my way even more to intimidate her. "So you are a combustion bender, huh? Zuzu once hired a combustion bender to kill the avatar." Zuko hits his forehead, and Rizu shifts uncomfortably.

"Well, its nice to know that my kind can be useful to the Fire Lord." She replies, dismissing me.

"So, how is the avatar?" I ask Zuko. I can tell that I am getting on his nerves, but is that not what I always do. I am his little sister, so he should expect nothing less.

"He's fine." Zuko says quickly. It seems like the two of them do not want me around for some odd reason, or that I make them feel uncomfortable. If it is going to be this way, then I do not understand why Zuko let me out of jail.

"I think I am going to go to sleep, if you will excuse me." I say as I get up. I can tell that they are already relieved with my leave of absence. I make my way down the halls until I reach my bedroom. Its the same bedroom that I grew up in, with a large bed in the middle, a trunk, a wardrobe, and a mirror. I walk over to the trunk and examine its inhabitants. There was not much. The doll that Uncle Iroh brought me back from Ba Sing Se that I set on fire. I wonder how that fat old man is doing.

Underneath thee doll, however, was a picture frame. Inside of that picture frame lay an old photograph of our family. I was probably ten, and Zuko twelve. We all looked so happy. Father's face did not have thee stress that came with being the fire lord, Zuko was without his scar, and mom was there. Not only was mom there, but the had a hand poised on my shoulder in an affectionate, caring way.

If only she was really like that towards me. I set the picture on fire and let the ashes seep through my fingers. "What is your aim?" Someone says behind me.

Without even looking, I know that it Rizu. Still looking at the ashes in my hand, I reply. "I honestly don't know what your talking about." I hear the creaking of the wood as she shifts her weight. I honestly do not know what idiot decided to floor the palace of the Fire Nation with wood, also know as an extremely flammable object.

"Don't play stupid." She says with a _very_ disrespectful attitude. Well, that is it. I am done with being outwardly nice to her, simply sticking to being passive aggressive. You do not disrespect a princess by calling her stupid. What worse, is calling me, Princess Azula of the fire nation, the woman who took Ba Sing Se, stupid.

"I'm not playing stupid, Rizu. If anyone is playing stupid, its you. I can see through you're entire act. I am one of the smartest people you will come across in your days, and I can see your whole life story just by looking in your eyes. You ight be fooling Zuko, but none fool me." I tell her crossing my arms and finally turning around to look her in the eyes. I notice the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She must be nervous.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She tells me. Lying to a princess, huh? I guess that instead of being aggressive, I will just have to break her.

"We are actually a lot alike, you and I." I begin as she forms a look of confusion on her face, "You grew up in a middle-class family. As a talented bender, you where destined to join the army, but you didn't want to settle for mediocrity, no, you wanted greatness. As you advanced through the military ranks, you eventually decided that regular fire wasn't good enough. That is when you developed the skill to combustion bend. It got you a lot of attention, including attention from my brother. Poor poor Zuzu, in love with Admiral Rizu, but she's only using him to rise to power. Well I wonder what would happen to Rizu if Zuko perished in an accident before they are wed." I finish with a wink as sweet trickles down her cheeks. I have broken her.

"You wouldn't." She replies with her fists clenched. I can see her trembling in fear, sweat, sweat, fear. 

Instead of replying with the typical _Sure I would, _or _I was only making suggestions, _I reply with the simple, yet terrifying, "Yet I have," before turning around and crawling into bed as she leave the doorway to my room. What can I say? Breaking people is my talent.

I do not sleep, for I am escaping the palace tonight. I wait until the moon is in the center of the sky, marking midnight, before crawling out of bed and getting ready. I go to my wardrobe and put on a traveling outfit in the style of the Earth Kingdom. It includes a sleeveless, light green kimono top that goes down to about my mid thighs along with a pair of dark green legging. It also came with a dark green sash, that ties around my waist.

I look around the room for a moment. If I am fleeing to the Earth Kingdom, I cannot use my firebending. I find the dual daggers placed on the wall, and take them along with their sheathes as I settle them onto my back. I take one of the daggers, and prepare for the final part of my disguise. I pull my hair up, and cut it off as strands of black hair fall to the ground. My new haircut falls just below my chin, and is choppy like the majority of poorer people's hair. I take the pieces of hair that frame my face and make two braids, then loop them around my head to form a halo.

Lastly, I grab a knapsack out from underneath the bed, and stuff it with a blanket and silver pieces. As I walk through the palace, I stay extra quite to make sure no one sees me leaving. Zuko will not realize I am gone until I do not show up for dinner. When I am about to leave through the man gates, I hear a voice from behind me. "No one is going to believe that you are Earth Kingdom with those eyes." I turn around to see Rizu standing there.

"If you tell anyone where I am going, I will make it my personal task to kill you," I tell her. This time, however, she does not seem fazed by my threats.

She simply smiles and says, "As long as it keeps you out of my hair." Finally something that we feel mutual about.

She turns around with a smirk, like she is happy that I am leaving. I make my way out of the palace, avoiding the eye sight of the guards, before finally fleeing and completing the second part of my plan.

**A/N: So I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter! Don't forget that a review is always appreciated!**


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